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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS* Q: Why does Dr. Wallach say that we need 90 essential nutrients? A: Our bodies perform a variety of biochemical tasks every hour: pumping blood, breathing, building and repairing tissue, and maintaining the immune system. Each task requires the execution of a specific set of chemical events. If every chemical reaction and transfer is to occur successfully, it is necessary to provide the body with the raw materials required. The human body needs 90 essential nutrients in order to function optimally; 60 of these essential nutrients are trace minerals, 16 are vitamins, 12 are amino acids, and 3 are essential fatty acids. Although plants can make vitamins and amino acids for us, the animals and plants we eat must get their trace minerals from the soil. Unfortunately, minerals do not occur uniformly throughout the earth's crust, and intensive agriculture has depleted our soils. Therefore supplementation is vital if we are to retain health and longevity throughout our lives. Q: My doctor tells me I can get all of the nutrients I need from the food I eat. So why do I need this stuff? A: A plant cannot manufacture minerals. A plant draws minerals from the soil through its root system and delivers it to us in a colloidal, organically bound form. 'Colloidal' is an even suspension of microscopic particles with a diameter of 1 to 100 nanometer in a dispersing substance (such as water). Therefore, minerals, which are essential, inorganic elements, are present in plants in colloidal form. Plants take indispensable inorganic substances and convert them to biologically absorbable form. Our bodies need these trace minerals in order to function properly. Unfortunately, due in part to intensive agriculture over the past 100 years, the mineral content of our range and crop soils is at an all time low. It was discovered over 200 years ago that plants (crops) will grow using only 3 essential minerals: potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Most of the fertilizers used today are of this variety, called NPK fertilizers. Unfortunately for humans, while plants do OK with only 3 minerals, we need 60! After about five to seven years of harvesting crop after crop from the same field most of the minerals, especially the trace minerals and rare earths, are virtually 'strip mined' from the soil. The depletion of our soils translates into a lack of minerals in our diets and also may well diminish the plants own ability to manufacture other nutrients we need. Besides poor soils, highly processed foods also contribute to malnourishment. These foods are very convenient, but have been manipulated to achieve a certain look or taste for ease of preparation, not health and nutrition! My sister-in-law is head of the Traumatic Incident Association and conducts seminars for people all over the world. When people form other countries come here, almost every one of them complains about how tasteless is the food in the United States. It is almost impossible for us to get all 90 essential nutrients from our diet, therefore, it is essential to supplement our food. Q: What exactly are colloidal minerals? it sounds like another "health food" fad. A: Minerals in their raw, inorganic form are found in rocks, clay and soil and are called 'metallic' minerals. Metallic minerals have almost no nutritional value because our bodies cannot absorb them (only about 10%). Supplement manufacturers recognized this problem and in the 1970's developed a method of increasing the absorption of metallic minerals, called 'chelation.' Chelation wraps an enzyme or an amino acid around a metallic mineral, increasing the absorption rate to about 40%. I personally swallowed bottles and bottles of chelated mineral supplements over my 30 years of running and sweating, but eventually the lack of absorption caught up with me in 2005. The best way to supplement is with full spectrum, liquid, organic, colloidal minerals. Organic colloidal minerals are minerals that come directly from plants grown in mineral rich soils, and are 98% absorbable. The minerals we get from food are organic colloidal minerals because they have been biologically altered by the plant in it's association with the soil, water, and sunlight. 'Colloidal' refers to the size of the particle in suspension. What is a suspension? In chemistry, a suspension is a dispersion (mixture) in which a finely-divided substance is combined with another, with the former being so finely divided and mixed that it doesn't rapidly settle out. In everyday life, the most common suspensions are those of solids in liquid water. Colloids are extremely small particles -- significantly smaller even than a red blood cell -- that have very high surface to mass ratios. The surface of a colloid is biologically absorbable, so the smaller the particle in relation to the surface, the easier it is for the body to absorb and use it! Plants are magicians. When the plant draws minerals up from the soil through its root system, the bio-electrical charge of the element changes from positive to negative. The linings of our small intestines are positively charged; therefore, a magnetic gradient is established that pulls in the needed nutrient. Q: Why is it important to have an organic mineral product? A: For the simple reason that although the body needs at least 60 mineral cofactors to ensure proper bio-chemical operation, if you tried to get these minerals directly from inorganic sources like soils or sea beds or rocks, they would accumulate in soft body tissues, and harm you. Most of these minerals you only need a very tiny amount of, which is why they are called trace minerals. Organic colloidal minerals are manufactured by plants, natures magicians, which take inorganic substances and transform them into biologically absorbable nutrients. These colloidal minerals come to us in tiny quantities or 'trace' amounts and in a from the body can recognize and use. True organic colloidal minerals are negatively charged. Negatively charged particles do not collect as readily in fat or liver tissue as do positively charged or metallic minerals. When we get our minerals from plants, therefore, there is little danger of toxicity. Q: What makes Youngevity minerals so good? A: Dr. Wallach's Majestic Earth minerals come from 100% plant minerals which are mined from humic shale in Emery County, Utah. 70 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed an earth where there were probably 84 minerals in the soil. A time when plants and fruits likely contained at least 77 minerals which became water soluble as they transmuted through the roots system to become part of a luscious, succulent, vibrant, life-sustaining food. Plant derived minerals have been encapsulated in the earth since that time. Many companies use this mine for their liquid mineral products, but Dr. Wallach has surveyed the area and bought the areas which show the highest concentrations and highest quality. Q: Are there other mineral products just as good? A: Doctor Wallach's company have exclusive rights to the Rockland Mine Minerals. The Rockland mine contains pure organic plant derived minerals that come from a vein of humic shale, which is prehistoric plant life. The minerals are as easy to absorb as the minerals in any vegetable. The Rockland Mine is located in Emery County, Utah, along with other mines that form a complex, but not all of these mines are the same. The Rockland Mine vein of humic shale is on average, 70 feet deep. The TJ Clark Mine vein, for example, is on average 3 1/2 feet deep. In order to get a full spectrum draw of minerals, there must be at least 7-foot vertical draw of the humic shale. Obviously, you can't pull a complete spectrum of minerals with a 3 1/2 foot vein. Many other liquid mineral products use a blend of minerals pulled from other sources to complete their full spectrum. But are these additional minerals also plant derived? That is the question a smart consumer must ask. Some companies use elemental or ionic minerals, which may not be as safe or absorbable. Dr. Gerhard Schrauzer, who is on Youngevity's Scientific Board of Advisors, writes "AL Global's plant mineral-derived extracts were adjusted so that one ounce provides approximately the RDI of iron. The extracts have a natural acidic taste and astringent action, which is perceived as beneficial and tonicizing. At higher strengths, such extracts may cause intestinal irritation in sensitive people. The strength of AL Global's plant mineral extracts was evidently chosen so as to provide maximum benefit and to minimize potential adverse effects. For best results, the minerals should be taken with juice at the recommended dosage." Dr. Schrauzer is one of the worlds foremost mineral and trace element experts. The company conducts tours of the Rockland mine on average twice each year, so the operation is completely transparent. When you sign up on the Associate Application or the Customer Application, you receive a laboratory assay showing the precise mineral content of each quart bottle of Majestic Earth minerals, along with a precise statement of total volume by weight of plant derived minerals in each bottle (19,000 mg). If you buy other liquid mineral products, try looking on the bottle for the actual mineral content. You probably won't find it listed! Moreover, an independent lab regularly analyzes majestic Earth Minerals, and the report is published for all to see. "How does Dr. Wallach extract the minerals from the humic shale?" you might ask. Well, it's very complex and I'll just summarize the procedure. If you want to verify the truth of it, you can go on a tour of the mine, or write or phone the company for details. Basically, the plant matter is placed in huge vats of purified water and the minerals are allowed to leach out gently and naturally for about three to four weeks. All aspects of this process are overseen by Richard Renton, chief quality control officer. The mix is filtered and re-filtered through one of the most sophisticated (and patented) filtering systems in the industry, ensuring that the Majestic Earth minerals contain no contaminants. It would take pages of text to describe all the quality control measures that govern the production of Majestic Earth Minerals. If you would like a detailed account, contact the company, who will be happy to provide them for you. Q: Isn't selenium harmful? Youngeveity mineral products contain selenium! However, in the July 1st, 1998 issue of the San Diego Union Tribune, there was a full page story about the massive die-offs of various flora and fauna at the Salton sea in the Imperial Valley, CA. This ecological collapse, according to various "experts," is due, in part, to the element selenium. My question is how can Dr Wallach push selenium if there is the slightest chance that these "experts" are correct? Or are there different kinds of selenium?? A: Both Dr. Wallach and the "experts" are correct. Selenium is an essential trace element. Selenium deficiency in human is frequent. Selenium deficiency may produce diseases from heart conditions to immune system inefficiency, spots on the skin, not to forget birth defects. Selenium supplementation reduces infection rate and protects against more than one type of cancer. Selenium is also a dangerous poison. How can this be? It is very simple. It is a matter of dosage. An adult needs an intake of around 100-200 microgram of selenium per day to stay healthy. Poisoning by selenium starts at sustained daily doses more than 10 to 20 times greater. Selenium is not the only substance that is altogether essential and a poison, depending the doses. Only, in the case of selenium the margin between the needed useful dose and a dangerous daily intake is narrower than for others. [1] Q: The laboratory assay shows that Dr. Wallach's Majestic Minerals has over 1460 mg per liter of aluminum per quart! Aluminum is carcinogenic and also causes Alzheimer's Disease, doesn't it?
A:
Don't worry. Aluminum is present in all and every food and living
organisms -- human included -- are used to this exposure.
Furthermore, one serving of Ultimate contains 44 mg of aluminum
metal, standing for 132 mg of aluminum hydroxide. This amount of
aluminum hydroxide is only 46.2% of the aluminum hydroxide content
in one tablet of the antacid Maalox Forte (350 mg of aluminum
hydroxide per tablet). Rhone Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals,
distributor of Maalox Forte, recommends the use of 1 to 3 tablets of
it 4 times per day to combat stomach acidity. (Physicians' Desk
Reference, 1998, p. 1850). This is 3 x 4 x 350 = four thousand two
hundred (4,200) mg of aluminum hydroxide per day and this dosage is
FDA approved. From the above, one could say that one serving of
ultimate contains 3.14% of the aluminum hydroxide daily oral dose
accepted by the FDA. More information on aluminum in food is the
subject of Q: Dr. Wallach's minerals contain arsenic. Arsenic is a deadly poison, isn't it? A: Indeed arsenic can become a deadly poison. Arsenic is also essential for health. It all depends on the dose. This is valid for numerous other minerals. The mineral content of a product can be evaluated (among others) in terms of the Recommended-daily-allowance (RDA) from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), in terms of the No-0bserved-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL), or the Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level (LOAEL) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Specifically for Arsenic (As), one serving of Majestic Earth (one fl.oz.) contains 0.15 microgram of As, equivalent to 0.23% of NOAEL. Question: Public health officials are more concerned about tiny doses delivered over long period of time--arsenic is linked to cancer. Arsenic is an element found all over the planet, and it can be highly poisonous. Even in relatively small doses, over time it can create health problems, including bladder and lung cancer. Until recently, the United States considered 50 parts per billion to be a safe level for arsenic. But the nation is now adopting the international standard of 10 parts per billion. One part per billion is equal to a drop of water in a 10,000 gallon swimming pool. If you take the minerals, aren't you taking small amounts of arsenic from a stranger, possibly killing ourselves, and paying good money to do it? A: We understand your concern. Arsenic (As) is an essential element, essential for general growth and for the maintenance of fibrous and bone tissue. Arsenic shares with selenium the unfortunate particularity to be an essential element, beneficial at low concentration and toxic above a certain level. Our food provides an intake of about 20-70 micrograms of arsenic per day. Arsenic toxicity arises for a continual intake of more than 200 micrograms per day (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.1989). Don't worry while taking one or two servings of the Majestic Earth Plant Derived Minerals per day. Here is why: One Fl. oz. of the Plant Derived Minerals contain 0.15 microgram of Arsenic. A concentration of 0.15 microgram per Fl.oz. equals 5 micrograms per liter or 5 parts per billion (ppb). This is less (50 %) than the maximum accepted concentration for Drinking-Water-Requirement (DWR) from the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, the requirements for arsenic in drinking water have not been set for a consumption of one or two Fl.Oz (30 or 60 milliliter) of it per day. The requirements for arsenic in drinking water have been set for a consumption of 2 liters of it per day, 15 times more than two Fl.Oz. Q: OK, but the liquid minerals contain lots of harmful ingredients like lead, cadmium, flourine, and thallium! How can we be sure that we're not poisoning ourselves? A: There are elements in the Majestic Earth minerals one would not dream of ingesting in a granular or metallic form. But remember that Dr. Wallach's plant derived minerals come in organically bound form. In organically bound form and in trace amounts, many of these same elements play an important role in the body's bio-chemistry. Arsenic, for example, helps facilitate neonatal growth and plays a part in metabolizing selenium, an element proven to be crucial to the health of the heart muscle. In a metallic form, on the other hand, arsenic can be deadly. In fact, it is 65 times more toxic than organically bound arsenic. Many people worry about ingesting too much aluminum. It is associated with Alzheimer's Disease, after all. Yet what many do not realize is that fully 12% of the earth's crust consists of aluminum bound typically to either oxygen or silica. One can not buy a fruit, grain, nut, vegetable, etc. at any market that does not contain trace amounts of organically bound aluminum. Another interesting fact is that due to the electro magnetic charge of organically bound minerals they cannot be stored in the body for longer than about 6 to 8 hours, thus they never create any sort of toxic overload. Minerals that come from inorganic sources such as rocks, clays and sea water can accumulate in the soft tissue of the body. Some plant- sourced minerals have been found to actually remove their heavy metal counterparts. For example, going back to aluminum, aluminum is very effective in not only cleansing the body at the cellular level but also in assisting it to remove any metallic aluminum that might be present. Q: What about organizations like QuackWatch who criticize Dr. Wallach's products and his approach?
A: Dr. Wallach has taken on the A.M.A. and the
pharmaceutical giants, questioning their approach to health.
When you take on the medical industry and pharmaceutical giants that
make billions every year, you can make powerful enemies. Here is a
critique of the QuackWatch criticisms by Professor emeritus, Dr. G.
N. Schrauser: Q. Do the products need to be refrigerated after opening? A. It is recommended that the liquid products be refrigerated after opening to ensure and prolong freshness and potency, however it is ok to travel with the products unrefrigerated as long as they aren't stored in a warm or hot environment. Q. Do these products have any side effects? A. These products are made from naturally sourced ingredients, generally there are no side effects. As with any nutritional program though, we recommend you consult your health professional. Q. Why do you have packs with animal names? That sounds weird. A. The names of the products often come from Dr. Waliach's Veterinary background. The Pig Pak® for instance doesn't contain any pork, it's just a cute name Dr. Wallach liked that has been used for a long time now. Q. Once I reach my health goal should I continue to supplement? A. It is now commonly believed we should all be taking at least a good multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement. It is also believed that the anti-oxidant nutrients have very protective effects for the body against free radicals that damage body cells and are thought to accelerate the aging process. Q: How do I find out more information about health and nutrition?
A: Go to the Longevity Institute's
non-profit website at
For a list of Abstracts of Publications cited in
the Longevity Institute web site, go here: _____________________________________
[1] Information taken from
the Longevity Institute at
* These statements are for informational and educational purposes only, and are provided by the Longevity Institute. The Longevity Institute is an unincorporated nonprofit association registered April 20, 1998 under the Laws of the State of California (Reg. No. 6800). The Longevity Institute is sponsored by the Companies Youngevity, ALGlobal, Ancient Legacy, Bio-Lumin essense, and SupraLife. The Longevity Institute provides information linking nutrition and good health and information about the health benefit of nutritional supplements.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and are for informational purposes only. The FDA has not approved vitamins or supplements. Consult your health care professional before embarking on any supplementation program.
"For the rapid increase in
knowledge it becomes more and more apparent that the science of
nutrition is the foundation of a more rational medicine. It is to be
hoped that on future occasions the work of this section will not be
limited to physiological, biochemical, pathological, and medical
aspects of the subject, but that it will include those that are
veterinary and agricultural." |
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